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OPINION

Opinion: Talk, listen, learn — our stories are Created Equal

In 1957, Eleanor Roosevelt interviewed Nikita Khrushchev, a leader of the Soviet Union during the Cold War. While the main focus at the time was political warfare, a series of communication breakdowns led to her stating in 1960: "We have to face the fact that either all of us are going to die together or we are going to learn to live together. And if we are to live together, we will have to talk."

Turns out, communication is essential beyond a reach across the political aisle and the realm of international affairs. As if channeling 2018, Mrs. Roosevelt provided critical guidance regarding one of the most uncomfortable topics out there: race.

It can feel like navigating a maze laid out with traps, where you never know when you may set something off. We watch what we say and how we say it, we let awkward pauses go on for too long, and we struggle to find the words to ask sincere questions. Bottom line, no one wants to be accused of being a racist.

For the third year in a row, the Village Square has partnered with Leon County Government to bring the community together to discuss issues that matter the most to them. This partnership realizes the importance of dialogue and creates a safe space for hard but much needed community discussions. A space where citizens can navigate the maze without setting off the traps — a space where we can make mistakes, where not knowing the right way to say something doesn’t make you a racist.

This is why events like Created Equal on Jan. 9 are essential to the social fabric of our community. Tuesday night is an opportunity to actively listen to our neighbors’ stories around the challenging topic of race and to share your own.

This year's theme is local stories, where community members will take the stage and share their lived experiences around race. Stories will highlight the Tallahassee civil rights era, white supremacy, faith-based reformation and cultural assimilation.

Storytellers will be seeking to address questions of identity, fear, mistrust, doubt, generalizations and the myriad obstacles that can only be overcome through honest conversations. What would happen if we all gathered in a room together to have a frank, civil discussion not just about our differences, but about our commonalities? As Mrs. Roosevelt aptly reminds us, if we are to live in this community together, we will have to talk.

Barby Moro is the Chief Operating Officer of the Village Square, a nonprofit devoted to building civil discourse on matters of local, state and national importance.

If you go

What: “Created Equal: Local Stories,” presented by Leon County and the Village Square